Formation of activation products in interactions of medium energy protons with Na, Si, P, S, Cl, Ca and Fe

Excitation functions of (p,x)-processes on the elements Na, Si, P, S, Cl, Ca and Fe, leading to the formation of 22,24Na and the medium mass activation products 42,43K, 47Ca, 44m,47Sc, 48V, 48,51Cr, 52,54Mn, 52Fe and 55Co, were measured over the proton energy range of 70 to 355 MeV using the stacked-foil technique. The product activity could be measured non-destructively via γ-ray spectrometry. Experimental results were compared with theoretical data obtained using the modified hybrid nuclear model code ALICE-IPPE (1998) for intermediate energies. The agreement was found to be generally satisfactory below 70 MeV. The processes natCl(p,x)22Na, natSi(p,x)22,24Na, 31P(p,x)22Na and natFe(p,x)48V, 55Co, 54Mn, 51Cr are described reasonably well by the theory even at higher energies. An activity estimate showed that the contribution of medium mass activation products to the total tissue and bone activation during proton therapy is negligible. (orig.)